Please sign this petition if you agree that the Dutchess County Department  of Public Works should work with the Towns of Rhinebeck and Clinton and the NYS Department of Transportation to make County Route 19 (Slate Quarry Road and Bulls Head Road in Rhinebeck/Clinton) safer for all of us these seven common-sense ways (note-- many of us are definitely grateful for the work DCDPW has accomplished over the last year on Slate Quarry Road):

1. Reduce the speed limit to 35 miles per hour on the dangerous parts of Slate Quarry Road (note-- this will take a resolution from the Rhinebeck Town Board and approval as well from DCDPW before NYSDOT signs off on this).

2. Make sure that law enforcement officials more closely monitor speeding on Slate Quarry Road-- especially in the most dangerous parts of the road.

3. Evaluate the cost and feasibility of reducing the incredibly dangerous and steep grade of the hill just east of the intersection of White Schoolhouse Road and Slate Quarry Road.

4. Put in "rumble strips" or devices similar to this (raised pavement grooves or rows of raised pavement markers)-- before and after the most dangerous parts of Slate Quarry Road to slow down traffic.

5. Put in guard rail along Slate Quarry Road along swamp there.

6. Where there currently (6/25/15) are orange plastic barrels along side Slate Quarry Road, comprehensively fix the shoulder/drainage there so drivers aren't dangerously trying to avoid those orange barrels.

7. Fully mark/paint the pavement triangle at the intersection of Slate Quarry Road and White Schoolhouse Road to make that corner safer (it actually used to be safer when it was a grass triangle; apparently DCDPW took that property a while ago without permission from a local landowner).

Thanks much to the following folks who came out June 25, 2015 to a Rhinebeck Town Hall forum Co. Leg. Joel Tyner organized on this issue-- all seven of the ideas in this petition came from one or more of these attendees (though, granted, not all of the people listed here may necessarily agree with all seven points in this petition): Rhinebeck Highway Superintendent Kathy Kinsella, Sean and Sarah Bowen, Cathie Cowell, Greg and Nancy DeSylva, Kath Krumenacker, Peter Randlev, Michael and Paula Trimble, Alice Wilbeck, Hans Boehm, Doreen Hunt, Tom Mannix, Ginny and Pat Sidorik, and Art Cusano of the River Chronicle.

Finally, besides signing this petition-- please also send a polite/courteous email to Dutchess County Public Works Commissioner Noel Knille on this at nknille@dutchessny.gov-- and again, realize that for true action to happen on many of the above points that Rhinebeck and/or Clinton Town Boards will also have to get more closely involved, particularly regarding lowering and/or enforcement of speed limit-- so please share your concerns re: above with local Town Board members too.

Joel Tyner, County Legislator (Clinton/Rhinebeck), 324 Browns Pond Road, Staatsburg, NY 12580 joeltyner@earthlink.net 845-464-2245/876-2488 http://www.DutchessDemocracy.blogspot.com WHVW.com 950 AM Saturdays 8-11 am